


A Special Kind Of Love

by PersephoneAlmana



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Adoption, Adventure, Awkward Flirting, Cunnilingus, Custom Male Ryder - Freeform, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, First Kiss, First Love, First Meetings, First Time, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, Interspecies Relationship(s), Light Angst, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Marriage Proposal, Meet the Family, Meeting the Parents, New Relationship, Pre-Relationship, Pregnancy, Slow Build, Spoilers, Temporary Character Death, Trans Male Character, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Sex, Wedding Night, Weddings, breakdowns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-14 12:20:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14135934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PersephoneAlmana/pseuds/PersephoneAlmana
Summary: Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.― Lao Tzu





	1. When I'm With You

In your arms,   
I'm in my safe haven.  
With you holding me tight,  
I have no other craving.

All I need  
is that one look  
that says you're always there,  
just like in a fairy tale book.

Your eyes talk to me  
as the world stands still.  
My once empty heart  
now with love does fill.

Your eyes tell me  
that you'll love me every day.  
No matter what may come,  
you'll be there to stay.

I tell you everything  
and never with a lie:  
all my worldly secrets  
and everything that once made me cry.

Everything in my past,   
with you I can forget it all.  
I know I can trust you  
to catch me if I fall.

If only I could explain,

how much love I have for you. 

Then maybe, just maybe,you'd feel it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick heads up for you guys. This is my first Mass Effect story, also I have a quick confession to make; I NEVER played Mass Effect Andromeda nor the first Mass Effect games. So I don't know what goes on during Mass Effect Andromeda at all, so please go easy on me.


	2. Deadly Encounter

"We're on a collision course of an unknown objects!" Kallo said, as the tempest began to shake when they spotted the bright light ahead.

"Make corrections! SAM? Are you on this?" Bela said, as he looked down on the computer, he could feel his own heart racing against his chest since they were on a collision course of an unknown objects that were in the way of the Tempest.

" _Collision is imminent_." SAM reported back to him, the pathfinder cursed under his breath.

"All stop now!"

The tempest gave a heave of stopping, Ryder looked up and almost gasped of what he had saw in front of them. A ship that was bigger than The Tempest, he backed away in fright as the bright lights stared almost menacingly at them, he knew what the ship was; Kett.

He could feel almost everyone's fear when they stared at the Kett ship that was in front of their smaller ship. He couldn't blame them, this was huge.

"Kett ships, a dozen.... No, more!" Suvi reported, once she found a voice but it was laced with fear.

"They got us pinned against The Scourge!" Kallo reported, Bela turned his head to look at the screen that was showing that they were surrounded by a dozen of Kett ships.

" _They are scanning us, Pathfinder._ " SAM inquired.

"Well scan them back!" Bela said, as he turned around and stared in the back, suddenly the lights turned off only illuminating a orange-yellow glow. Feeling almost something was going to happen, he turned his head only to be greeted on the screen by an alien with armor-like extrusions on it's head staring down at him with icy eyes.

" _ **Where is the one who activated the remnant?**_ "

Cora and Liam came running up behind Bela, only to be stopped while staring in horror of the creature that was on the screen.

" _ **Their DNA signature is there. Answer me.**_ "

"You're the on that's in my way. Who are you?" Bela snapped, as he stared down the alien on the screen.

Not hearing a response, there was a feeling of a small push, a beeping was heard throughout the room. In which, Suvi gave a small sound.

"They've locked navigation." Suvi reported, as she stared at the navigation screen.

"We're being steered into their ship." Kallo added, as he looked at the orange screen.

 _No, no, no, no! This can't be happening._ Bela thought, as he felt panic began to rise in his throat.

"Just tell me what you want." Bela said, as he stared down the armor-like alien. He swallowed his panic and calmed down.

" _ **I want to explain what you can't understand.**_ "

" _Ryder. I have almost regained control of the ship. I need a few more seconds._ " SAM said, in private to Bela, in which Bela was secretly thanking SAM for his help. He turned his head to face the alien.

"I actually know a lot about the Remnant. We should compare notes." Ryder said, as he stared down the Alien.

" _ **Enough. Your defiance is naïve and reckless. This day marks the beginning of your greatness.**_ " The creature said, making Ryder's stomach grow a deep feeling in his gut.

Silence was still around, but SAM definitely pulled through, since they were out of the Kett's control. Everything returned almost in order, but right now they needed to get out of the Scourge alive and away from the Kett.

"SAM?" Ryder started, feeling something terrible in his gut.

" _I have plotted a potential course through the scourge._ "

"Do it!" Ryder ordered, Kallo immediately pressed the coordinates that SAM had given him. The Tempest made a sharp turn and fled from the Kett ship, some ships following behind them.

Bela held on tightly, he checked the screen and saw Kett ships following behind, one ship destroyed.

"Report." Bela said, as he looked over towards Suvi.

"Enemy destroyed. Damage to aft sensors!" the scientist reported to him.

"Scourge got him?"

"Yes."

"Uh!" Cora grunted as she tried to keep her balance as the ship rocked.

"Get us out of here!" Liam said, as he was keeping his balanced but was in fear of what they had witness and were nearly captured by the kett.

The Tempest soared through the scourge, escaping the Kett that was one ship trailing behind them and exploding from the impact.

" _It will be tight._ " SAM warned.

"Kallo..." Vetra said, as she held onto the seat.

Going through SAM's path, Ryder gave a big sigh of relief when he saw the dark sky in front of them without the scourge's orangish ripples across.

"Yes!" Kallo cheered, as he gave a smile.

"Ha-ha! Nice work, kid!" Drack congratulated the Salarian, Liam put his hands on his hips and looked at Kallo with a smile of relief.

Bela couldn't agree more, Kallo did an AMAZING job of getting them out of there, but there was one thing that was on his mind. "Yeah... but who the hell was that guy?" He asked, as he looked towards them.

 _Ryder! We've got trouble down here! You need to find us a port now!_  Gil said, as his voice entered through the comm. Making the Pathfinder turn his head.

"Great! Where'd we end up anyways?" Bela asked, as he turned to the scientist, Peebee jogged over to check as well.

"Sensors are damaged.. But I think we're at the vault's co-ordinates."

"You think?" Bela said, as in shock. He gave an exhale through his nose. "Gil, give it what you can. We're setting down."

The Pathfinder looked on the screen to see a planet in view, hoping that this place will give them time to fix what the damage was from the Kett even from the Scourge itself. Ryder needed the ship fixed, since they didn't want to go down or be stuck in space.

Suvi heard a small beeping sound, glancing she saw that someone on the planet was contacting them.

"We're being contacted."

"Along with being followed." Peebee inquired, as she saw on the monitor that four ships were following them.

"We have to land." Bela said, she gave a sigh then looked up. "Open the comm."

The Scientist open the comm to communicate with the people, but the language that was emitting wasn't recognizable and hard to understand. Kallo and Vetra looked at each other with confusion, along with Liam and Cora.

"Sorry to show up like this but I swear, we come in peace and no any means to harm you." Bela said, as he stood to listen to the comm from the person contacting them. In which, the person on the otherside spoke again in the strange language but laughed a bit.

"They are forcing us to land." The Salarian reported, he turned his head to Ryder.

"Then we land." Ryder said, as he stared at the screen.

The two ships in front of them, lead the Tempest towards the destination, in which among the dark clouds was a beautiful lush of greenery below.

"Yes... Ha. Take a look, it's beautiful." Bela said, he had to admit that it was beautiful of what they were seeing in front of them. Bringing the Tempest closer to land on solid ground and the bottom opening to exit.

"We need that vault." Ryder said, as he turned a bit only to hear Vetra's snuff.

"Please. You're not really going out there on your own." The Turian folded her arms and gave him a look, with her tendrils flaring a bit.

"We can't afford a repeat of last time." Bela informed the Turian, in which everyone looked at him in concern. "I'm the pathfinder. This one is on me."

"Most important thing ever. No pressure." Liam put in, as he crossed his arms to look at Ryder.

"If this ends badly- if I get eaten alive - even if it's hilarious. Please destroy the vids." Ryder said humorly at them. He gave a small wave and left to head out of the ship's landing strip.

 _I hope this goes well..._ He thought to himself.


	3. First Meetings

The first thing Ryder was greeted when he left the ship were by some soldiers, guns pointed at him when he had both of his hands in the air to show that he meant no harm to anyone, they surrounded him. Speaking in the strange language that he heard before on the comm, one approached him lifting it's arm. A blue light emitted, going up and down, scanning him.

"Need me to take my shoes off?" Bela asked jokingly, as he watched them scanning him.

Once the soldier was done scanning, he turned around to lead the soldiers off. Bela followed them, hands still in the air, he glanced all around to where he was almost in awe of the strange formation and plants.

Approaching a staircase, he spotted five different colored Aliens on top of the steps. He noticed how different they looked almost they had similar leg structure like the quarian and a salarian, with broad shoulders and narrow waist. He saw that they had a single pair of nostrils, and folds of flesh on the sides of their heads that extend to their chests.

He paused when the soldier's stopped, looking up he saw the blue alien looking down at him with a serious look. He carefully put his arms down, feeling how much they were hurting.

"I'm Paaran Shie. Governor of Aya. We are the angara." The Female said, calmly to Bela.

"Hello.  I'm a pathfinder with the initiative." Bela replied.

"Yes. You crossed dark space. I heard of your Journey." Paaran said, her head turned towards over her shoulder, to see another angaran come in view, he stepped down on the stairs, Paaran reached to touch the angaran's shoulder.

"Jaal. I have this in hand."

He lifted his hand to stop Paaran. "Evfra saw the ship come in and sent me to find out what's going on." 

Turning he put his attention to Bela, in which he continued to stare him down and come down the steps.

If Bela had to be honest, it took him every ounce of military training of trying hard not to flinch, when an Angara was standing right in front of him, staring him down.

"He’s a human from another galaxy. A  _Pathfinder_.” Paaran informed the angaran.

When the angara stood in front, Bela was surprised to see that he was the same height as him.

 _That's right, Bela._ Y _ou’re here as a representative._  He kept his gaze as steady as he could, face hopefully neutral, despite fighting his instincts to at least step  _back_  and regain some form of personal bubble, since the Angara was too close for comfort.

_Happy thoughts. At least you haven’t been shot at yet._

The Angara in question - Jaal, had they said? - didn’t seem to notice his discomfort, thankfully, mind clearly set on one objective, “Aya is hidden. Protected. What do you  _want_?”

Bela straightened his shoulders, still doing his best to seem neutral and sincere to Jaal's question.

"We come with a spirit of cooperation and living in Harmony."

Jaal hmphed at him, "We've heard that before."

The Angara turned away and walked away then informing him to come to the Resistance Headquarters to meet him there. After Jaal had left, Ryder was trying to control his breathing, resisting the panic that tried to rise. Since he didn't want anyone to see how frightened he was of when Jaal was right up in his face.

He was asked to follow by Paaran, doing so with little hesitation, forcing himself to ask questions as they walked; about the angara, the people, the planet and other things in which Paaran had no time to answer his questions.

No matter how overwhelmed he was, he was the  _Pathfinder_ , and Aya - and the Angara- were beautiful, from the little he’d seen ever.


	4. Resistance Headquarters

 He had to admit that everything in Aya was beautiful when he and Paaran were walking to the headquarters of the Resistance. The pathfinder could hear voices of the other angaran's voices full of concern about his presence and some filled with disdain from his presence's there even fear, he wouldn't blame them though with the Kett roaming about.

"Your city is beautiful." Bela complimented, as he and Paaran approached a staircase.

"Thank you." Paaran said, as she continued to walk. "You're the first outsider to see it."

"I'm honored."

In his view, Bela could see a building in their view with some more angaran soldiers that were standing next to the potted plants that were standing in front, Bela guessed that it was the Resistance Headquarters.  But one thing that popped into his mind was about Evfra, the resistance leader, he didn't know if he would like him or not.

"What happens if Evfra doesn't like me?" Bela asked Paaran, as they were approaching the building.

"He won't--but you need to earn his trust." Paaran told him.

"He's responsible for everyone's safety. I know what it's like."

"You're a leader."

Bela gave a small subtle smile to Paaran, "Trying to be."

The Governor stopped and turned to face him, "This is the resistance headquarters. Evfra is waiting inside."

He gave the governor a nod, before pressing a button that opened the door with a soft hiss. Taking a deep breath, hoping that this would go well, he entered the Resistance Building.

Bela heard Jaal's voice along with another voice, looking straight he saw a light blue with green whorls on it's head walking towards him, stopping to stare at Bela, the pathfinder looked back at him before turning his head to pay his attention to Jaal.

"Our experience with the Kett makes us naturally distrustful of all aliens." Jaal explained to him, when he saw the angaran looking at him with a distrustful look.

"We're nothing like them. In fact, maybe we can help each other out." Bela assured Jaal, he hoped that it assured him.

"We made that mistake when the Kett arrived." Jaal said, adding a small scowl to his face, his voice dripped with venom. "When the archon came to Heleus, he demolished our sovereign state-took what he wanted as if we were nothing. Now the kett mercilessly abduct angara. Often, we never see our people again."

Bela watched as the angaran took a deep breath before changing the subject. The Pathfinder felt a pang of sympathy and anger from hearing what Jaal told him, their people were being mercilessly being kidnapped by these aliens.

"Come this way, Evfra is waiting." Jaal said, as he turned to lead Bela.

"Wait, the kett kidnaps you-steal your people." Bela said, as he walked with Jaal.

"And the resistance fights them every day, with everything we can."

"Is it attrition? What are they after?"

"You should save your questions for Evfra." Jaal told him, as they walked past some Angarans looking at the screen of a map.

"Kadara be damned. I won't lose Voeld!"

 _That's probably Evfra._ Bela thought to himself, as he and Jaal approached a cerulean angara that was leaning against a table behind him.

"Evfra, this is one of the aliens from the Milky Way-a Pathfinder." Jaal said, as they stopped.

"Pathfinder." Evfra said, the pathfinder was in shock to see the scars on the resistance leader's face that was over one of his eye and lip.

"It's an aggressive move coming to Aya."

"My people from the Milky way were bold enough to come to Andromeda. I need to be at least that bold to save them." Bela said, he saw the Angara gave him a nod along with a sound.

"So.. Pathfinder. Never mind how you even found us-Why are you here?"

"On a hostile planet called Eos. I explored an ancient structure-a "vault"-and brought it back online. It stabilized that planet's environment." Bela explained to the resistance leader.

"Remnant. Recent intelligence supports that claim." Jaal said, in shock, he approached and stopped at Bela's side with his weapon in hand.

"If I'm right, there's a vault on Aya that's different I need to look inside."

The Resistance leader's stance changed, his head drooped and looked away from the pathfinder to turn away. The pathfinder, along with Jaal  followed Evfra as he saw he stopped in front of a window looking outside with arms crossed.

"You're right. There's a "vault" out there, but it was shut years ago and the entrance hidden." Evfra told him, Bela stood with the Resistance leader, looking out the window as well. "We can't help you."

"The Moshae could. She's our most revered scientist and elder-She knows this vault." Jaal informed Bela.

"But now the Kett have her and our rescue attempts failed. She's lost to us, and you." Evfra said, with anger then turned away sharply, then looking at Jaal with a cold look.

"Let me show you what I can do. I won't take one step without your approval." Bela said, as he stood leveled to the leader.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with! The angara learned years ago the perils of messing with vaults. So did the kett, for that matter." Evfra said, as he glared down Bela. "We're done here."

 _That went well…._ Bela thought to himself, as he already felt hopeless of gaining Evfra's trust.

"Evfra. I feel… Evfra, what this alien says is extraordinary." Jaal said, as he looked at the scarred Angara. "The Moshae would want us to be brave and not let this chance pass."

"Jaal… You talk too much."

"Let me assess this alien. I'll be your eyes. I know you can spare me."

"Go if you want. But when he tries to kill you, be prepared to strike first." Evfra told Jaal, the left in a huff leaving both Jaal and Bela.

"I'm Jaal Ama Daarav. I'll be your envoy through angaran space." Jaal said, being polite to give the pathfinder his name.

"It's gonna be cozy, so I hope you like people." Bela said, as he gave Jaal a smile.

The Pathfinder reached to shake the Angara's hand, Jaal moved his hand behind Bela's, moving his right hand to shake Jaal's.  Guessing that he had no idea what he was doing, Jaal grasped Bela's right arm to lift it up. Watching the angara curl his fingers in like a fist, Ryder did the same and felt Jaal's arm against his.

Jaal made a sound, "I hope I don't regret this."

"Me too." Bela added, he watched the Angara turn and started to walk away, he followed the Angara out of the Resistance Headquarters to get their new crew-mate assessed with the others.


	5. Discussion

"I'm just saying, as far as first contact goes, at least that went better than the last one." Cora said, as she put her hands on her hips.

Liam tsked, "Only slightly."

Here they were on the bridge, talking about the first contact with the Angara and having one as a teammate.

"Yeah-what happened? I wanted to look around." Peebee said, as she looked at Bela in a questioning look, wanting to know why she wasn't allowed to be on Aya.

"And now we have another mouth to feed. Whatever he eats." Drack grumbled, as he looked over to where Jaal was sitting, as well as Cora even Peebee where looking over to Jaal, who was staying silent and gave a glance with his starry blue eyes at them.

"Did the translators not work?" Vetra asked, slightly annoyed.

"They work." Jaal informed her, as he kept his head slightly down while staring at them.

"I know we're improvising as we go, but let's remember that there is a Pathfinder team protocol." Bela reminded them.

"Don't think I got that handbook." Peebee said, as she rolled her eyes.

"Ryder, we followed our best lead here, and now we don't have that."

"Jaal has offered to do what he can to help us access the vault on Aya."

"How do we do that when we're leaving the planet it's on?" Vetra asked, as she looked over to Bela.

"That's… A fair point, Jaal?" Bela turned his head to look over to the sitting Angara, wondering if he had answers to how to access the vault.

"Seriously?" Cora said, annoyed.

"Settle down! Ryder's right. There's an angara right here. Let's here from the new guy." Liam said, as he was annoyed and wanting to know from the Angara as well.

The Pathfinder turned to look over to Jaal, who had been silent during the rest of the bickering back and forth of their small group informing about the Vault.

"One day about eighty years ago, the Archon and the Kett arrived in Heleus, and the horror began." Jaal said, as he stood up to walk over to them.

"They declared war?"

"Nothing so easy to define or fight."

"The kett kidnap angara-their people disappear without a trace. What if they were us?" Bela said, as he looked over to Vetra then to Jaal.

  
"Sure, I'll fight Kett all day long-but that's no plan." Drack said, knowing he would fight the kett all day if he wanted too.

"I agree. We need to get into that Vault, Ryder." Peebee agreed, as she looked over to the pathfinder.

"Surprisingly, I agree with Peebee. Our own mission has to take priority." Cora said, as she looked over to Ryder, knowing she has to follow the protocols of getting into that vault.

"We have a plan. Kind of. Pretty solid, Jaal?"

"The resistance has stretched thin. I was tasked with traveling to two of our worlds at our briefings this morning-and you'll accompany me." Jaal informed, as he turned his head to Bela.

"Because..?" Liam asked, as he was curious.

Jaal turned his head to Liam, "Because then Evfra will see you as trustworthy. You want that."

"Jaal's told me about these two worlds. Havarl and Voeld." Bela started, two holographic planets appeared from the round table. The second planet grew a bit big to show that it was Voeld, while the second was Havarl.

"Before the scourge disaster. Voeld was a thriving planet of billions, a shining center of technology and life."

"And now?" the Turian asked, she looked over to Jaal, wanting to know what happened.

"It's the center of our ground war against the kett. Our resistance base is fighting Kett Command for control of the planet."

"What about the other?" Cora inquired, as she put her hand against table.

"Havarl is the birthplace of Angara. It's started to degrade, to become wild and dangerous. We suspect Remnant."

"Now we're talking!" Peebee said, relieved to hear what she was hearing.

"We've recently lost contact with our scientist." Jaal said, the pathfinder knew he was speaking about Moshae Sjefa, Bela heard about her on Aya, of course when he was speaking with Jaal and Evfra.

"Still don't get how any of this helps us." Drack said, bluntly.

"I do. Help us-or rather, help me-and I'll vouch for you, right? Because Jaal wants inside Aya's vault too." Cora said, as she looked around.

"Pathfidner, it's your call."

 _Of course it is always my call…_ Bela thought bitterly, already felt the heavy weight of this on his shoulders. "Let me weight the options. I'll let you know."

"We'll be ready, whatever you decide." Liam told him.

"Jaal, give Kallo the navpoints for both planets. Let's… do this."

 

\---------------------------------------

 

The Pathfinder walked in the silent halls of the Tempest, he'd was checking on everything that everyone was doing but he had noticed that one person was missing among them; Jaal. He'd figured to go and find the angaran since at their fist meet it gotten the pathfinder curious about him.

"SAM? Do you know where Jaal is?" Bela asked, as he stood in front of the empty bedroom that was suppose to be Jaal's but checked it to see that he wasn't in there.

 _Jaal is in another room, Pathfinder. The small crowded space._ SAM informed him, in which Bela thanked him and went on his way to find him.

Entering the room, Bela spotted the Angara hunched down almost like he was fixing something.

"So… Jaal." Bela started, in which the angara stopped with whatever he's doing to stand up.

"So."

"We haven't  had a chance to talk alone. You comfortable in here?" Bela asked, seemingly wondering if he was comfortable with the living arrangements.

"I took it. It feels strange to stay with the others. They're-you're-aliens." Jaal told him, when he approached and stopped.

"No one on my ship thinks that way. We're a team." Bela informed the Angara.

Jaal seemed to be embarrassed from what he said, "I.. I was talking about my discomfort with your living arrangements, not about any prejudice I harbor. I'm an alien-we're all strangers-I…Perhaps then, if we're all aliens it's about what kind of alien we are."

"You had no idea bout us… but you signed up to help us anyway."

"Perhaps it had nothing to do with you." Jaal pointed out.

"Care to elaborate?" Bela asked, wondering of what he meant by that.

"I do not." Jaal responded back, there was silence before the pathfinder broke it.

"How do you know Moshae Sjefa?"

"She's our greatest mind on the Remnant. I was her student."

"You studied the Remnant too?" Bela asked, surprised that Jaal had studied the remnant.

Jaal gave a sound of a small hmph, "A little. I was terrible. I quit. Or she threw me out. One of those. We're still very close."

"That sounds like an honor to be very close to your scientist." The Pathfinder said, giving a small smile to the angara.

"It is, truly an honor to be still very close to her." Jaal agreed.

"So… Is that your rifle?" Bela asked, as he noticed it before when Jaal was holding it at the resistance headquarters.

"it is now. It's Kett. With my own modifications. I like to tinker-to get my hands on something and take it apart."

"That's a skill I know we could all could use… But I have ONE request. Please don't take apart my ship."

Jaal chuckled, "You're right. I signed up-volunteered-for this. It's…exciting. There's something unique about you-uneasy, raw-but somehow profound."

Bela could feel his heart beat against his chest, "Face value, that sounds like a compliment. A nice one."

"It is. Angara feel deeply. We have more trouble hiding our emotions than showing them." Jaal said, before turning his head a bit. "I should get back to work."

"When we have down time. I'd love to watch you work." Bela said, as he gave a smile.

"Sure. I could show everyone."

"Um, no. Just us. So we can get to know each other better, or just share a hobby." Bela elaborated, he could feel his cheeks grow hot.

"Oh? Mm. Of course."

"Good! Good. I… I should let you get back to work." Bela said, as he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Stay strong and clear." Jaal turned around to go back to work, Bela turned to leave to catch his beating heart to calm himself down.


End file.
